Up next for the Unlimited Lights: May 2 - there is an exhibition at Pickwick Landing in Tennesee. May 17 - the ULs are in Richland, WA.

At Richland a number of Unlimited Light and Lighter than LIGHTS teams that could not make the trek to Phoenix will open their ULHRA seasons. UL-5 with Rod Bourke who won a preliminary heat at Richland last year, UL-98 Miss Atomic Screen Printing, the local favorite with Charles Xaudaro driving, plus Charles' older brother "Vince X-Man Xaudaro in his UL-929 with Wilmot Racing will be competing. Wil Muncey and the Muncey Racing Trafficade Signs & Safety Sales team hopes to debut their "Big Red Boat" the ex UL-23 Pegasus at Richland. UL-13 Celtic Racing Team owner-driver J.Craig Fletcher will make his move to the former UL-33 hull which won the season finale at Port Angeles last year. Fletcher purchased the former Miss Graham Trucking hull from Bob & Janet Estes last winter. Brian Perkins in Chuck Dow's Thunder Valley UL-40 is also expected to compete along with Kerry Beynon & Al Carstensen's UL-6 which was damaged in a flip at Silverdale WA last Aug ust.

Fifteen UL teams are expected for Desert Thunder II, plus 10 or more from the Lighter than LIGHTS Fleet.

More details in comments.
Info from John Lynch, P.R. Director and "Voice" of ULHRA Racing

Shameless plug: This is the 1,000th post on this blog! And we've had more than 122,000 visitors since we started less than a year ago.

Steve David is hinting that there might be a U-6 testing coming up soon...

Details >>

Sad news to report... Chet Lepinski lost his daughter this week from complications from pneumonia. Chet is an active participant in the hydroplane scene, including RC Hydros. He's been a contributor to numerous hydro websites, including his own and this one.

Here's the information about Jackie Kay Lepinski from Einan's Funeral Home in Tri-Cities, WA:

When someone we love passes away, we ache, but we go on. Our dear departed would want us to heal, after they are gone. Grief is a normal way to mend. The anguish and pain in our hearts; we need time to remember and time to mourn, before the recovery starts.

Let's draw together to recuperate, as we go through this period of sorrow; let's help each other, with tender care to find a brighter tomorrow.

Jackie Kay Lepinski went to be with her Lord on Monday, April 28, at Kadlec Medical Center in Richland, Washington. She was surrounded by her loving family and friends. She was born in Richland WA on November 4, 1969, to Chester and Sandy Lepinski. Jackie worked for Lockheed Martin for twenty years. She started in 1987 as a high school student and ended up in the Human Resource Department as a HR Specialist.

Jackie enjoyed many things in life. She grew up doing competitive roller skating until she was 12. She became very involved in the Tri-City Americans hockey team. She even went on a long road trip to Canada one time to support the team. Her latest enjoyment was cruising. She had been to Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean, Panama Canal, and Mexico. Her next adventure was to go to Fiji. While cruising she had a chance to swim with the dolphins and go white water rafting.

She is survived by her parents Chester and Sandra (Richland), brother Brian (Richland), and sister Brenda (Everett). She is also survived by her many friends.

The family would like to extend our gratitude to the dedicated and caring professionals in the Intensive Care Unit at Kadlec Medical Center. These were the most incredible set of nurses. Each one of her nurses took very special care of her (Keith, Randy, Lisa, Kara, Gene, and Joy). Thank you for making her last days as peaceful as could be.

There will be a celebration of her life from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Friday, May 2nd, at Central United Protestant Church, Richland. The family has requested that instead of sending flowers please make a donation to the American Lung Association or the Kadlec Medical Foundation for further research on Acute Interstitial Pneumonia.

Express your thoughts and memories in the online guestbook at www.einansfuneralhome.com

I've now seen two PRIME TIME NATIONAL NETWORK TV COMMERCIALS for the Red Bull Air Races, encouraging people to attend at either San Diego or Detroit. That's marketing!

By the way, every race has network TV coverage on Fox Sports.

Hmm.